The inscription on the wall is the best lead they've gotten in a long
while. It almost makes up for Andrew trying to cop a feel the whole ride.
Almost, but not quite. And it certainly didn't make up for when the boy
told him he smelled good.
As soon as he steps of the bike, he knows something's wrong. He can feel it. The house is too quiet for one occupied with 40 plus people. And as soon as he's on the porch he can smell why. She isn't there. Years of being infatuated with her, and more of trying to kill her he knows her smell. And he can sense her presence, and it's not here.
Crazy with worry he comes through the door, lacking his natural grace, eyes darting all over the place. Eventually, his eyes focus on the people in the living room. He hears Andrew come in behind him, panting for air from trying to keep up with Spike.
"What's wrong?" Spike asks. He notices the girls that have been with them the longest, coming out of fighting stances. He thinks, they were taught well- from the best. And he doesn't mean himself. He also notices that Dawn has tear tracks down her cheeks, mascara smudged.
Now he's really worried. Especially since he hasn't gotten an answer from them. And their eyes are darting back and forth, and he can tell they're stalling. He looks towards Faith, knows she'll give him a straight answer. "What's happened?" Spoken more urgently this time, hopes she gets the message.
She doesn't disappoint. "There was a.disagreement. Buffy left."
"Well, when will she be back," Andrew asks, "because we have some good news." He emphasizes the 'we' by puffing out his chest and throwing his arm around Spike's shoulder.
Not as dense as Andrew, Spike has figured out what she meant. He shrugs off Andrew's arm and leans against the wall. Trying with everything he had not to lose control. It was a losing battle, he could feel his features trying to shift, and he's pretty sure everyone in the room can hear his teeth grinding.
"What happened here, really?" He meets everyone's eyes in the room, which was quite hard, considering more than half were looking at the floor, the wall, anywhere but at him. "She wouldn't just leave."
Anya answers, and he realizes now he should've asked her to begin with. No one more straight forward than her. "Well, we didn't think Buffy was the right person to lead us anymore. She makes irrational decisions, and frankly, she's gonna get us all killed." She took a deep breath, ready to continue, oblivious to the people wincing around her. "So we voted, well sort of, for Faith. And she got all pissy and then Dawn kicked her out." As completely random as it was, Spike believed every word of it.
"Listen, it's not like it soun-" Faith says, attempting to clear her name.
"No, I'm sure it's exactly like it sounds." He pushes off the wall, anger resonating throughout his whole body. "How could you let her go, especially now with that guy out for her!?"
"Buffy's a slayer, she can hold her own. She thinks she's better than us, now she can prove it." Kennedy says, hands on her hips, attitude firmly in place.
It takes all of the strength Spike's built up over the years not to reach out and snap her neck. And he knows he can do it before anyone can even begin to comprehend what's happening.
For the first time in six years, they had managed to completely amaze him. Really, he doesn't think that the potentials would do anything different, they're new- scared. They don't know Buffy like the Scoobies do. Haven't known her as long, and they were likely to choose the easiest way out. And Faith's always easy.
But the scoobies are- were her family. They know her in ways he can't explain in words, and he figured they would be behind her 120%. Her sister had even betrayed her.
He can't stand to be in the same room with them, and he's positive he feels sick to his stomach, even thought it's not physically possible.
All he knows is that he needs to find her, the translation doesn't make a difference anymore. Nothing does.
If he leaves now her scent will be fresh enough for him to able to track her easily. He starts to leave, but then thinks it would be a good idea to get some weapons. He doubts the thought had even crossed Buffy's mind while she was being run out of her own house by her so-called family.
He turns to go upstairs. If he's gonna get weapons, he's bloody well gonna take the best ones. And he knows she keeps them in a chest at the foot of her bed. A chest the whelp had made for her, nonetheless.
Willow's voice stops him. "What are you gonna do?"
He chuckles a little under his breath, amazed they don't realize his devotion to the slayer yet. "I'm going to back her up, since she obviously can't count on her own family to."
"And she can count on you?" The skepticism in the principal's voice clearly portrayed what everyone in the room was thinking.
He just shrugs, "You know what they say, keep your enemies close, just in case all your friends turn out to be bastards."
He doesn't wait for a response from anyone, and starts up the stairs.
As soon as he steps of the bike, he knows something's wrong. He can feel it. The house is too quiet for one occupied with 40 plus people. And as soon as he's on the porch he can smell why. She isn't there. Years of being infatuated with her, and more of trying to kill her he knows her smell. And he can sense her presence, and it's not here.
Crazy with worry he comes through the door, lacking his natural grace, eyes darting all over the place. Eventually, his eyes focus on the people in the living room. He hears Andrew come in behind him, panting for air from trying to keep up with Spike.
"What's wrong?" Spike asks. He notices the girls that have been with them the longest, coming out of fighting stances. He thinks, they were taught well- from the best. And he doesn't mean himself. He also notices that Dawn has tear tracks down her cheeks, mascara smudged.
Now he's really worried. Especially since he hasn't gotten an answer from them. And their eyes are darting back and forth, and he can tell they're stalling. He looks towards Faith, knows she'll give him a straight answer. "What's happened?" Spoken more urgently this time, hopes she gets the message.
She doesn't disappoint. "There was a.disagreement. Buffy left."
"Well, when will she be back," Andrew asks, "because we have some good news." He emphasizes the 'we' by puffing out his chest and throwing his arm around Spike's shoulder.
Not as dense as Andrew, Spike has figured out what she meant. He shrugs off Andrew's arm and leans against the wall. Trying with everything he had not to lose control. It was a losing battle, he could feel his features trying to shift, and he's pretty sure everyone in the room can hear his teeth grinding.
"What happened here, really?" He meets everyone's eyes in the room, which was quite hard, considering more than half were looking at the floor, the wall, anywhere but at him. "She wouldn't just leave."
Anya answers, and he realizes now he should've asked her to begin with. No one more straight forward than her. "Well, we didn't think Buffy was the right person to lead us anymore. She makes irrational decisions, and frankly, she's gonna get us all killed." She took a deep breath, ready to continue, oblivious to the people wincing around her. "So we voted, well sort of, for Faith. And she got all pissy and then Dawn kicked her out." As completely random as it was, Spike believed every word of it.
"Listen, it's not like it soun-" Faith says, attempting to clear her name.
"No, I'm sure it's exactly like it sounds." He pushes off the wall, anger resonating throughout his whole body. "How could you let her go, especially now with that guy out for her!?"
"Buffy's a slayer, she can hold her own. She thinks she's better than us, now she can prove it." Kennedy says, hands on her hips, attitude firmly in place.
It takes all of the strength Spike's built up over the years not to reach out and snap her neck. And he knows he can do it before anyone can even begin to comprehend what's happening.
For the first time in six years, they had managed to completely amaze him. Really, he doesn't think that the potentials would do anything different, they're new- scared. They don't know Buffy like the Scoobies do. Haven't known her as long, and they were likely to choose the easiest way out. And Faith's always easy.
But the scoobies are- were her family. They know her in ways he can't explain in words, and he figured they would be behind her 120%. Her sister had even betrayed her.
He can't stand to be in the same room with them, and he's positive he feels sick to his stomach, even thought it's not physically possible.
All he knows is that he needs to find her, the translation doesn't make a difference anymore. Nothing does.
If he leaves now her scent will be fresh enough for him to able to track her easily. He starts to leave, but then thinks it would be a good idea to get some weapons. He doubts the thought had even crossed Buffy's mind while she was being run out of her own house by her so-called family.
He turns to go upstairs. If he's gonna get weapons, he's bloody well gonna take the best ones. And he knows she keeps them in a chest at the foot of her bed. A chest the whelp had made for her, nonetheless.
Willow's voice stops him. "What are you gonna do?"
He chuckles a little under his breath, amazed they don't realize his devotion to the slayer yet. "I'm going to back her up, since she obviously can't count on her own family to."
"And she can count on you?" The skepticism in the principal's voice clearly portrayed what everyone in the room was thinking.
He just shrugs, "You know what they say, keep your enemies close, just in case all your friends turn out to be bastards."
He doesn't wait for a response from anyone, and starts up the stairs.